For Dan Faughnder, design is about giving music a visual identity. In digital marketing with Concord Records, he helps artists translate sound into imagery, creating the album artwork, posters, merchandise, and visual worlds that become inseparable from the music. It’s a discipline that lives at the intersection of craft, collaboration, and culture which has major Salt and Flickers vibes.

But somewhere along the way, another creative pursuit emerged. What began as a few friends meeting for runs grew into Eagle Rock Run Club, one of Los Angeles’ most vibrant community running groups.

I sat down with Dan back in March 2026, right before the LA Marathon. 

Run club politics are a thing. What does that mean? On a low vibrational side, people get chirpy about brand partners and how many Instagram followers you have. On the higher minded side, the conversations turn to examining platform and privilege and how those inform the foundation, vision and role of a run club and run culture at large.

So I’m sitting there with Dan, about to record the episode, with a short list of pointed questions that could go in a few directions, really leaning on how political and purpose driven run clubs have become.  I’m looking at a dude across the table who loves a throwaway joke, shits & gigs, and likes to run with his friends outside. That’s the ERRC tag line and they are living it. 

With two mics separating us, I have the realization that not every run club has to save the world. I pushed the list of questions aside and we hit record.  Operating less like a podcast run club writer guy guiding a narrative and more from a place of an abundance mindset it became clear: Dan and Eagle Rock are doing something great for their zip code and that is enough. Their point is simply to make Thursday night the best hour of someone’s week. Or knowing your neighbor by name. Or laughing with new friends and forgetting what mile you’re on.

If running outside with your friends is your why, this podcast isn’t a place to challenge someone as nice as Dan to apologize for it. But it is a place to talk about how he’s taking care to do it better than anyone else. We’re living in a moment where newer, brand-driven run clubs are all trying to copy someone else’s blueprint. Bigger. Cooler. More branded. More “community.” Dan has his own version of living through that. He’s the single leader of a big club and we talk about how he guides the ship, how his punk ethos meshes with the Swiss shoe brand On Running, how The Speed Project, even with its late-stage Burning Man vibes, still matters. But, we learn that Dan is a big Dave Matthews Band fan so the Burning Man thing tracks. 

Here’s Dan. He has a big heart and I was grateful we got to slow down and talk.

For more info on the podcast, our book, book tour and general vibes, check us at saltandflickers.com

Peace and love and John and Yoko,

Howie xo

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